News

Fury after traffic "gridlock" hits Worcester

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Exclusive by Tom Edwards, Political Reporter

ROADWORKS are bringing chaos to Worcester - with furious drivers saying they have been left "stranded".

Severn Trent Water has just launched a new project to lay pipes around St Peter's, gridlocking the south of the city.

The £180,000 project kicked off yesterday, resulting in motorists having to queue for an hour to travel the length of the A38 Bath Road during the evening rush hour.

More than a mile of tailbacks stretched towards the Sidbury junction and towards the Cathedral roundabout last night in scenes described as "farcical".

There were even reports of drivers dumping cars by The Albion Inn to walk up Bath Road rather than drive, and rat-runs up London Road and the A4440 Southern Link Road.

Some callers to your Worcester News said drivers were dumping cars by St Peter's Baptist Church in desperation.

Severn Trent, which is laying 400 metres of new water pipes, has placed four-way traffic lights around St Peter's island, off St Peter's Drive, for a scheme that will not end until April.

Politicians say they have already been bombarded with complaints from disgruntled residents.

It threatens to leave south Worcester with traffic problems for 15 months, as in April Worcestershire County Council is set to start a year-long £8 million revamp of the Ketch roundabout.

Bath Road resident Eileen Johnson, 51, said: "I was going up Bath Road at 5pm and it took me an hour to get to Tesco, it was disgraceful.

"I thought of going up London Road but so many cars were turning around I didn't bother. I was basically stranded, it was farcical.

"People were furious, it was the worst gridlock I've ever seen. It was chaos."

Bill Meadows, of Begonia Close, St Peter's, who was also caught up in it, said: "It's already absolutely gridlock, something has to be done.

“My worry is that we'll have over a year of this."

Councillor Marc Bayliss, who represents St Peter's for the county council, said he has already requested urgent talks with highways chiefs about it.

"I've already had numerous complaints, a solution must be found because we can't have this.

"This is a key arterial route out of the city and it will be gridlocked. I hear it was causing tailbacks back to the city centre."

Councillor Roger Knight, a city councillor for the area, said: "The amount of complaints I'm getting about this already, it's crazy.

"One woman said it took her 40 minutes to go down St Peter's Drive this morning (Thursday)."

Severn Trent say too many water pipes in south Worcester are old and prone to bursting, making the work "essential."

The body has put out a statement apologising for the delays, saying 12 weeks is a "short time" for such a complex project.

Jonathan Tait, from Severn Trent, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused to the community, but our priority is to give the best service we can to our customers.

"The work will only be for a short time, but the benefits should be felt for years to come."

A follow-up statement from the firm said Wednesday’s M5 incident may have added to the delays.

It said: “We’re sorry for any disruption caused to peoples journeys as a result of improvement work we’re carrying out in Worcester.

"We’re aware that there were long traffic delays at St Peter’s Drive yesterday (Wednesday) and unfortunately the problem was made worse because of an accident on the motorway, which sent more traffic onto the local roads and increased the congestion.

“We’re doing everything we can to try to minimise disruption to the local community.

"We’re working closely with the Highways Agency to help manage the traffic in the best way we can – including looking at different ways to make sure the traffic lights are working as efficiently as possible.

"As the work continues we hope we will be able to replace the 4-way traffic lights with 2-way traffic lights and for the last part of the work we may even be able to remove the traffic lights completely.”

* Were you caught up in last night's chaos? Are you in it today? Call 01905 742248 or email te@worcesternews.co.uk.

Comments (21)

Health and safety gone mad! There is no need for such a complex of temporary lights. Temporary traffic lights are inefficient and always cause ridiculous traffic hold ups, if the work needs to be done then someone with more than half a brain cell needs to plan the traffic system to maximise flow. Not to maximise disruption as they are currently.

Health and safety gone mad! There is no need for such a complex of temporary lights. Temporary traffic lights are inefficient and always cause ridiculous traffic hold ups, if the work needs to be done then someone with more than half a brain cell needs to plan the traffic system to maximise flow. Not to maximise disruption as they are currently.chapski75

...our priority is to give the best service we can to our customers...

I'm a customer and I was in the queue - it didn't feel like the best service, I can tell you! And, of course, there was no work happening when I got there - the workers had all gone home!

Disgraceful!

...our priority is to give the best service we can to our customers...
I'm a customer and I was in the queue - it didn't feel like the best service, I can tell you! And, of course, there was no work happening when I got there - the workers had all gone home!
Disgraceful!I'm_not_bitter

I understand it will 12 weeks until the work is finished. Last night (Wed) the traffic was backed up past my house untill past 8pm (although that was probably due to problems on the southbound M5). Surely there must be a better solution than the current four - way lights. Might help everyone`s temper if Severn Trent`s contractors were at least working continuously and not disappearing for spells - nothing worse than spending ages queing and then finding the only thing there is the lights!!!
Regarding the forthcoming work on the southern by-pass - there was a VERY interesting article in Tuesday`s printed WN in which Councillor Udall says the proposed £38million improvements have become "unpopular and discredited" and should halted, with greater focus on raising funds for the northern section of the ring road.
I am somewhat mystified that this article has not found its way into the on-line edition of the WN - not censorship of a controversial local issue I trust.
(Incidentally, does anyone else think the on-line WN has become a bit of a mess since Murray Kelso left, particularly the reader`s letters page - come back Murray - all is forgiven!!!)

I understand it will 12 weeks until the work is finished. Last night (Wed) the traffic was backed up past my house untill past 8pm (although that was probably due to problems on the southbound M5). Surely there must be a better solution than the current four - way lights. Might help everyone`s temper if Severn Trent`s contractors were at least working continuously and not disappearing for spells - nothing worse than spending ages queing and then finding the only thing there is the lights!!!
Regarding the forthcoming work on the southern by-pass - there was a VERY interesting article in Tuesday`s printed WN in which Councillor Udall says the proposed £38million improvements have become "unpopular and discredited" and should halted, with greater focus on raising funds for the northern section of the ring road.
I am somewhat mystified that this article has not found its way into the on-line edition of the WN - not censorship of a controversial local issue I trust.
(Incidentally, does anyone else think the on-line WN has become a bit of a mess since Murray Kelso left, particularly the reader`s letters page - come back Murray - all is forgiven!!!)Doogie 46

I haven't actually seen any work yet. Just cones. And disgruntled drivers. What a farce yet again. Why can't all the uti!ities work together rather than diggi ng the roads up one after another?

I haven't actually seen any work yet. Just cones. And disgruntled drivers. What a farce yet again. Why can't all the uti!ities work together rather than diggi ng the roads up one after another?grumpy woman

Why not switch the lights off in rush hour?
Why not make the timings of the lights more fair?
Why not do this work in the school holidays?
My wife had to abandon her car in Tescos car park and walk a 4 mile round trip to Little Treasures nursery with our 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son to Cherry Orchard. I am concerned about the Ketch roundabout work that is set to commence soon. My wife was an hour late for work.

Why not switch the lights off in rush hour?
Why not make the timings of the lights more fair?
Why not do this work in the school holidays?
My wife had to abandon her car in Tescos car park and walk a 4 mile round trip to Little Treasures nursery with our 4 year old daughter and 6 year old son to Cherry Orchard. I am concerned about the Ketch roundabout work that is set to commence soon. My wife was an hour late for work.Chrissey teacherGilesy

You decide who is the most incompetent organisation in worcestershire:-
Is it Highways?. We have signs diverting traffic and closing the road in our village for three days now with no sign of anyone doing anything with pick or shovel. Total chaos in Worcester as usual. Six months plus altering a road junction on Three springs road in Pershore complete with pointless traffic light system causing untold pollution and hundreds of man hours wasted in delays . Evesham bridge. You couldn't make this up!. Probably the head of Highways will receive a gong for services to chaos.
The Environment Agency for total inaction during the recent flooding. The only organisation on the Planet to not understand the blindingly obvious.
The road safety partnership. A bunch of parasitic daleks too stupid to even bother typing about any more.
Can anyone tell me what Stakeholders are?.
Is it something to do with vampires or fencing contractors?

You decide who is the most incompetent organisation in worcestershire:-
Is it Highways?. We have signs diverting traffic and closing the road in our village for three days now with no sign of anyone doing anything with pick or shovel. Total chaos in Worcester as usual. Six months plus altering a road junction on Three springs road in Pershore complete with pointless traffic light system causing untold pollution and hundreds of man hours wasted in delays . Evesham bridge. You couldn't make this up!. Probably the head of Highways will receive a gong for services to chaos.
The Environment Agency for total inaction during the recent flooding. The only organisation on the Planet to not understand the blindingly obvious.
The road safety partnership. A bunch of parasitic daleks too stupid to even bother typing about any more.
Can anyone tell me what Stakeholders are?.
Is it something to do with vampires or fencing contractors?RobertR

RobertR The traffic is horrid but your logic is bonkers.
Highways arenot responsible for any of the comments you make. 3 Springs Road Pershore was done by Persimmon Homes as part of the planning permission for the new houses
Highways don't run the Environment Agency
Roadworks in worcester are and were due to Gas works not Highways and now its Severn Trent not highways.
Your ignorance destroys your arguement 3/10 for effort nothing out of ten for factsdenon

there is a solution to this, or atleast a solution to minimise the amount of traffic chaos, those who work less than 10 miles away should really commute to work on a bike. There will be less cars on the roads, you will be doing your bit to save the environment and also be improving your health too and of course lowering the NHS bill.

People in general are too lazy and they want everything done for them, stop moaning and get on your bike !!!

there is a solution to this, or atleast a solution to minimise the amount of traffic chaos, those who work less than 10 miles away should really commute to work on a bike. There will be less cars on the roads, you will be doing your bit to save the environment and also be improving your health too and of course lowering the NHS bill.
People in general are too lazy and they want everything done for them, stop moaning and get on your bike !!!Cyclist123XXX

Oh come on people, modern cars have radios and buses are heated. Those on push bikes can take to the cycle routes, and those on motorbikes can whizz to the front of the queue. Just turn off your engines, sit back and take 20 mins out of our rush rush 21st century lives, enjoy the peace.

Meanwhile in other news, the people of Syria.....

Oh come on people, modern cars have radios and buses are heated. Those on push bikes can take to the cycle routes, and those on motorbikes can whizz to the front of the queue. Just turn off your engines, sit back and take 20 mins out of our rush rush 21st century lives, enjoy the peace.
Meanwhile in other news, the people of Syria.....Small Town

Cyclist123XXX wrote:
there is a solution to this, or atleast a solution to minimise the amount of traffic chaos, those who work less than 10 miles away should really commute to work on a bike. There will be less cars on the roads, you will be doing your bit to save the environment and also be improving your health too and of course lowering the NHS bill.

People in general are too lazy and they want everything done for them, stop moaning and get on your bike !!!

What if people drive for a living? Truckers, taxi drivers, couriers, sales reps etc. Not everyone's place of work is in an office or factory so cycling to work may not be an option for some people who'll have no option but to sit in the queues.

[quote][p][bold]Cyclist123XXX[/bold] wrote:
there is a solution to this, or atleast a solution to minimise the amount of traffic chaos, those who work less than 10 miles away should really commute to work on a bike. There will be less cars on the roads, you will be doing your bit to save the environment and also be improving your health too and of course lowering the NHS bill.
People in general are too lazy and they want everything done for them, stop moaning and get on your bike !!![/p][/quote]What if people drive for a living? Truckers, taxi drivers, couriers, sales reps etc. Not everyone's place of work is in an office or factory so cycling to work may not be an option for some people who'll have no option but to sit in the queues.CYNIC_AL

More and more people squeezed into smaller and smaller housing, trying to use the same roads and the green spaces between the concrete and tarmac keeps shrinking. We are getting very overcrowded.

More and more people squeezed into smaller and smaller housing, trying to use the same roads and the green spaces between the concrete and tarmac keeps shrinking. We are getting very overcrowded.BadgerMash

BadgerMash wrote:
More and more people squeezed into smaller and smaller housing, trying to use the same roads and the green spaces between the concrete and tarmac keeps shrinking. We are getting very overcrowded.

@ CYNIC_AL

please re read what I wrote.. I said that those who can travel to work on a bike should !!!, obviously if driving is part of your living (taxis, driving long journeys) then you cannot do this.. this WILL reduce the number of cars on the roads thus reducing traffic chaos.. do you understand?

[quote][p][bold]BadgerMash[/bold] wrote:
More and more people squeezed into smaller and smaller housing, trying to use the same roads and the green spaces between the concrete and tarmac keeps shrinking. We are getting very overcrowded.[/p][/quote]@ CYNIC_AL
please re read what I wrote.. I said that those who can travel to work on a bike should !!!, obviously if driving is part of your living (taxis, driving long journeys) then you cannot do this.. this WILL reduce the number of cars on the roads thus reducing traffic chaos.. do you understand?Cyclist123XXX

please re read what I wrote.. I said that those who can travel to work on a bike should !!! , obviously if driving is part of your living (taxis, driving long journeys) then you cannot do this.. this WILL reduce the number of cars on the roads thus reducing traffic chaos.. do you understand?

@ CYNIC_AL
please re read what I wrote.. I said that those who can travel to work on a bike should !!! , obviously if driving is part of your living (taxis, driving long journeys) then you cannot do this.. this WILL reduce the number of cars on the roads thus reducing traffic chaos.. do you understand?Cyclist123XXX

Build the northern link road and the widening of the southern link may not need to be done. No disruption to present traffic and we get an extra river crossing. Not rocket science is it?

Not everyone can use public transport as shift patterns dictate commuting times. There is no public transport for many during these times.

Build the northern link road and the widening of the southern link may not need to be done. No disruption to present traffic and we get an extra river crossing. Not rocket science is it?
Not everyone can use public transport as shift patterns dictate commuting times. There is no public transport for many during these times.Reynard11